Already Gone
by Zephyr Hearts
Summary: Sakura moved on, Sasuke realizes that he's having a hard time dealing with the possibility that Sakura doesn't love him anymore. /rated T to be safe, rating may change later on/


A/N: I had posted this preview on my profile under upcoming stories. I was (and still am) undecided whether or not I want to make this an on-going story. This is really just a side project just until I post "Sexcapades". I planned on making this a little angsty and a little romantic, but I changed my mind. This is what I imagined Sasuke and Sakura's interaction if he did ever return to the village. I'm sure everyone expects Sakura to be all happy, but deep down I think it will be quite opposite.

I don't want to hear complaints, but I made Sakura a little angry. What Sasuke put her through, I wouldn't blame her to be angry and hurt because of him.

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.

Summary: Sakura moved on, Sasuke realizes that he's having a hard time dealing with the possibility that Sakura doesn't love him anymore.

* * *

It's been exactly one year since the war broke in Konoha, and since Sasuke returned to the village and, _finally_, he was off probation. It was half passed midnight by the time he left the Hokage's office after waiting _patiently_ for her decision whether or not to take him off his probation. He stalked lazily down the empty streets of Konoha.

The night air felt cool and refreshing against his heated skin as he made his way to the building where his apartment is located. Sasuke stared blankly at the dusty street he walked on, his hands shoved deep into the pockets of his loose black pants, and he was thinking about the discussion he had with Tsunade.

_Some of the villagers informed me that you have been helping out with reconstructing the buildings._

_I have._

_I'm impressed. It's only been a year and you have slowly turned around._

_I've been trying my best to get off this damn probation. I needed something to do._

_Having an attitude like that won't help you. But, your behavior has improved – I have decided to take you off your probation, with a few conditions of course._

_Such as?_

_You will not be going on missions by yourself, you will continue community service for another two weeks, you will need to find a job and keep it._

_So, I'm still on probation._

_Kind of, but it's not as strict. I have one more condition._

_What is it?_

_You will stay away from Haruno Sakura._

Sasuke scoffed and kicked a rock, watching it fly across the street and hit a pole. Why should he stay away from someone who doesn't want anything to do with him in the first place?

Since Sasuke returned, Sakura has kept her distance. In fact, Sasuke hasn't seen her in weeks, not upfront anyway. Sasuke has passed by her occasionally on the streets, in the stores, even when he had to go see Tsunade for his weekly review, and he could tell she's been avoiding his presence.

Could he blame her? Sasuke tried to kill her more than once, he's been cold to her, he's treated her like a pile of shit, and now he's feeling her pain.

The fact that the guilt was leaving a dull ache in his chest, it wasn't making _anything_ better.

The guilt was eating at him, making him feel more and more like shit every day. Sasuke reached up and he clutched his chest. It felt as if a very dull kunai was digging into his chest – and he hated that it was making him feel this way, guilty and weak. Sasuke is an Uchiha. Stuff like this never mattered to him.

He had always pushed passed those feelings and buried them deep in the cold abyss of his heart. But, for some reason, he just couldn't do that now.

Sasuke stopped and looked up at the building before him. He sighed deeply, staring directly into the window that had a light on, and a woman sat in the window pane. It was dark, but he could clearly see who it was. _Sakura._ She sat in the window, staring up at the diamond sky, her long pink hair, that had grown down to her hips, was moving gently as the wind blew towards her.

Sasuke looked away, and continued walking to his apartment building.

He never noticed her, he never acknowledged her in the past when she was an annoying, naïve, weak girl. Now, she was a strong (even _he _can admit to that), _beautiful_, intelligent woman, also the best medic-nin in the village, besides Tsunade of course.

Sasuke had seen her work on wounded ninja when they had come back from missions, and he had to admit that she was good. Tsunade taught her well all those years he was gone.

Sasuke arrived at the building and he pulled his keys out, unlocking the door. He stepped into the one bedroom home and shut the door behind him. Sasuke walked to his room and removed his shirt and kicked off his shoes, then his pants, leaving himself in his boxers. He lay in bed, staring blankly up at the ceiling. Though he wanted to get sleep, his thoughts were elsewhere.

Sakura plagued his thoughts, when he closed his eyes, he saw her. When he opened them, she was still there in his mind. _Why_? Why _now_?

Never had he ever thought about her in such a way. Now that he's been home for a year, he never assumed that he would be spending all this time here thinking about that woman.

Every time he had the chance to speak to her, she would brush by him as quick as possible, her head hung low. When he would be with Naruto, the blond ninja would place a hand on Sasuke's shoulder telling him that she would come around.

_She will come around, you'll see._

It didn't take Naruto long to forgive Sasuke, but it wasn't easy.

They fought _physically_ for almost six months.

The final time they fought, they ended up in the hospital for a few broken ribs, Naruto had a broken nose, and Sasuke ended up with a broken wrist. After they were healed up, there was an awkward silence between them and Naruto nonchalantly said that he forgave him.

Sasuke remembered that day as if it were yesterday.

The following day Sasuke had tried to pull Sakura aside to speak to her, and she ended up screaming at him, screaming for him to never touch her, to stay away from her – that was four months ago.

He sighed heavily and got up from the bed, redressing himself.

* * *

_(knock knock knock!)_

Sakura's eyes slowly flickered open.

_(knock knock knock!)_

She yawned and sat up, lazily looking at the digital alarm clock. It read one o'clock AM, and Sakura sighed heavily. The knocking somehow grew louder and she pushed her thin white sheets off her body, grabbed her short pink robe, slipping her arms through the sleeves and she tied it securely around her tiny waist.

_(KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK)_

"Yeah I'm coming!" Sakura shouted angrily.

She left the chain lock connected and unlocked the bottom lock, pulling the door open until it was cracked.

She narrowed her eyes and closed the door, unlocking it completely.

"What are you doing here?" Sakura hissed. "It's one o'clock in the morning!"

Sasuke pushed past her and she shrieked.

"Close the door." He commanded.

Sakura glared at him icily, her green eyes narrowing dangerously at him.

"Close the door." Sasuke growled.

Sakura slammed the door shut, and surprisingly it made Sasuke flinch.

"Sasuke, what do you want?"

"Why are you avoiding me?" He asked.

Sakura arched her eyebrow, her arms crossed across her chest. Did he really just ask her that? Sakura scoffed and she wanted to scream at him. She wanted to scream so loud and tell him what had been on her mind for the passed year since his return.

"I think you know why, Sasuke." Sakura whispered.

Sasuke looked at the woman before him. He expected more of an answer from her.

"I wouldn't be here if—

"Oh don't you dare finish that damn sentence! You know exactly why I'm avoiding your ass! Sasuke you can't expect me to be all happy and giddy that you returned like Naruto and everyone else was. You betrayed us all, you hurt everyone around you and you—you...

Sakura choked and she turned away. She wasn't going to let Sasuke see her cry. She was done with crying over him.

Sakura was stronger than this. "Just get out." She whispered.

Sasuke narrowed his eyes at her and he stepped forward, reaching out to touch her trembling shoulder. Sakura spun around, grabbing his hand.

"Don't. Touch. Me. Just get out." She demanded.

"No." Sasuke said flatly.

Sakura looked up at him, she balled up her fists in anger.

"Get out!" She screamed this time.

Sasuke stood in place. "Not until you hear me out."

Anger filled tears streamed down her cheeks and she looked at him hard.

Silence befell the two and Sakura crossed her arms across her chest again, and she leaned against the wall.

"Well?"

Sasuke walked up to her (_fast_) and he placed his hands on her shoulders, pinning her against the wall. Sakura squirmed and she attempted to break free.

"I'm—I'm _sorry_." Sasuke said.

Sakura stopped and she looked up at him with a bemused expression on her face.

"That's it? You're sorry?" She asked, completely unamused.

"What more do you want?" Sasuke spat.

She scoffed. "Nothing. I want nothing from you. You can take that apology and just shove it up your ass. I don't care anymore, Sasuke. How many times do I have to tell you? You just don't get it." Sakura was sobbing now.

Sasuke stared down at her, dropping his hands from her shoulders.

"Sasuke I don't need this anymore. I don't need you hurting me. I don't need you trying to talk to me to tell me that you're 'sorry'. After the hell you put me through, you expect me to believe you're sorry? Just like that?" Sakura pushed him off her with all the force she possessed.

Sasuke stumbled back. It hit him hard. He realized that when he came back he expected Sakura to be the first person to see him, to be happy that he was back.

"Get out, please Sasuke... just leave." Sakura pleads.

He had never been so wrong in his life.

Sasuke walked to the door, and he took the knob in his hand, turning it before opening the door. He looked back at Sakura, who avoided eye contact with him. Her cheeks were stained with tears.

"I really am sorry." He whispered.

"Get out. _Get out_! **GET OUT**!" Sakura screamed, shoving him through the door and slamming it shut. She slid down the door and sat on the floor. She felt weak. She felt so weak as she brought he knees up to her chest and sobbed freely in them.

Sasuke stood with his back against the door. He heard Sakura faintly crying on the other side.

He wanted her to be the first to know he was back. Why? He didn't know himself. He assumed it was because all those years of her following him around he thought she would still have some sort of girlish crush on him.

Sasuke leaned his head back on the door. He felt like Sakura when they were twelve.

He suddenly understood how she felt, and he sighed deeply.

Sakura moved on, she doesn't love him anymore and to his surprise, he was having the hardest time believing that.

End.

* * *

I felt like there was a missing piece to this story. I might leave it as it is, or I could add a couple of chapters, going back to when Sasuke returned and Sakura's feelings about it.

But as I've said before, I'm still undecided on whether or not I want to make this on-going. If I do, the updates won't be as quick and frequent like I plan for Sexcapades. But, if you guys would like a couple chapters added, please leave a review and tell me what you think! :) I will be marking this complete until further notice. If I have requests to continue it, I will unmark it from complete and add another chapter.

Until then.


End file.
